"Was confident enough to face the last ball" - Devika Vaidya on forcing Super Over against Australia
Indian all-rounder Devika Vaidya had to wait for a massive eight years to make her comeback into the T20I team after being named in the squad to play Australia in five games in Mumbai. While India lost the series 1-4, Vaidya made a handy contribution in the one game that they won at the DY Patil Stadium.
Vaidya scored 11 runs off five balls as her crucial partnership with Richa Ghosh ensured that the Women in Blue took a record chase of 188 into the Super Over. Ghosh was striking the ball well, but took a single with six needed off two balls.
At that point, many could have felt whether there was no need to take the single as Richa Ghosh was striking the ball so well. However, Devika Vaidya showed her ability to deliver under pressure as she timed a boundary past point region on the final ball and took the game into a Super Over.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, here's what Devika Vaidya had to say about her mindset before facing that final ball:
"I was confident enough to face the last ball and it was all about staying calm. The bowler was bowling good Yorkers and cutters. The pitch was so flat that everyone knew she won't bowl a length ball for me to swing my bat. I expected a wide yorker or a slower one. More than hitting it hard, I just wanted to place it. I stuck to my basics and was calm and composed. I just went with the flow (on the last-ball boundary)."
The match was memorable not only because India won the game in a thrilling fashion, but also because a staggering 57,000 people were present at the Dy Patil Stadium to cheer on the Women in Blue. On this, Devika Vaidya added:
"When we were in the dugout during that game, the atmosphere that fans had created and the numbers in which they had come to support us, that made us even more motivated to win the game. When I went to bat, Richa was hitting sixes almost at will. So for me it was important to stay with her till the end. We were just staying in the moment."
Devika Vaidya on her middle order role
Devika Vaidya wasn't always a middle-order batter as she played most of her initial domestic cricketing days with Maharashtra in the top order. However, she realized that the Indian team potentially had space in the middle-order for an all-rounder who could bowl leg-spin.
She adjusted her game accordingly and began performing consistently for Maharashtra in the middle-order, earning that well-deserved call-up to the Indian team. On this, Devika Vaidya stated:
"Before the start of the season, I had a chat with the Maharashtra coach about our plans and also spoke about the need for experienced batters to bat in the middle-order as there were some youngsters in the team who could bat higher and just express themselves. We also spoke about how there could be a spot up for grabs in India's middle-order for an all-rounder, especially who bowls leg-spin and bats left-handed. So I started preparing accordingly, gave myself targets while practicing and began to assess situations. This clarity helped me as well as the team do well."
The willingness by Vaidya to prepare according to the demand and the courage she showed to get out of her comfort zone is what earned her an India call-up.